1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement for interpolating images by motion estimation and compensation, which arrangement includes a block-by-block motion estimation member to form motion vectors assigned to blocks of picture elements an and an interpolation member to form an image as a function of said motion vectors.
Arrangements of this type are used with great advantage, more specifically in the field of television. By knowing the motion vectors which define the displacement of the different successive picture elements, it is possible to form by interpolation an image of a good quality at an instant chosen between two consecutive images.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of arrangement for which a motion estimation is used for an overall block of picture elements is well known. For this subject, reference is made to the article by C. CAFFORIO and ROCCA, entitled: "The differential method for image motion estimation" in Image sequence processing and dynamic scene analysis, T. S. Huang Ed., Berlin, Germany, Springer-Verlag, 1983, pp. 76-103.
If the blocks contain many picture elements, a first disadvantage is met. This disadvantage is caused by the fact that it may happen that picture elements of the same block are displaced from one image to the other by a clearly different amount, which consequently results in interpolated images of a poor quality.
When the blocks contain few elements, there is a second disadvantage as the motion estimation may be affected by noise and an image of a poor quality is obtained also then.